Free Jeanne Glidewell - Lexie Starr 05 - Just Ducky by Jeanne Glidewell Page A

beneficial would be accomplished by throwing a pity party for myself, and also for Ducky, who for obvious reasons, was unable to attend.
    I then began scheming and thinking of ways to investigate Ducky’s death, without tipping off Stone and Wyatt. Despite the pleas for me to leave everything to the police, I was not going to let the matter drop until I, too, was convinced she hadn’t been murdered. It was clear to me the detectives considered her death to be immaterial, and not worth their time or effort. With any luck at all, I’d stumble upon some piece of irrefutable evidence that would be impossible for them to ignore.
    I found the little notebook I referred to as my “Sherlock Holmes pad,” which I’d used several times in the past to jot down a list of people who I thought it might be worthwhile to speak with. That was the easy part of my plan. The more difficult part was figuring out how to accomplish that goal and that audacious task would take a little more thought. But coming up with clever ways to make those conversations happen, was a talent in which I not only excelled, but also thoroughly enjoyed. Let the inquisitions commence, I thought.

 
     
     
    Chapter 7

     
    “Ms. Starr?”
    “Yes, this is she,” I replied, to an unfamiliar voice after answering the landline telephone early Friday morning.
    “This is Colby Tucker, with the county library system. I’m sure you already know about Mrs. Duckworthy’s death.”
    “Yes I do, Mr. Tucker. I’m afraid I was the one to discover her body when I reported for work Wednesday morning. It was incredibly shocking. What a terrible thing to happen, don’t you think?”
    “Yeah, sure,” he replied, with little or no emotion. “Bertha reported to me, and now you’ll be doing the same as the interim head librarian until we can find a suitable person to fill the position full-time.”
    “Okay,” I said. “I look forward to meeting you, and I promise I’ll do the best job I’m capable of doing.”
    “Yeah, sure.” My new boss repeated. “Mainly, I’m calling to let you know the library will be closed all next week and reopen the following Monday. You need to pass this on to the other employees there, because I’m about to go on a break, and I really don’t have the time. Did Bertha give you a key to the front door, or am I going to have to interrupt my busy schedule to get one to you?”
    “I have a key. Ducky made certain I got one. She was very professional, you know. And I will contact Paul and Carolyn as soon as I get off the phone with you. Do you happen to know when and where Ducky’s funeral services will be held?” I asked. I had promised Ducky I’d never call her Bertha, and even now that she was dead, I would feel a sense of guilt in doing so. It seemed to me Mr. Tucker was using the despised name almost mockingly. But then, I was finding it hard to give him the benefit of the doubt considering the dispassionate manner he was displaying.
    “No, I don’t know anything about the services, but I’m sure it will be in the paper tomorrow if it wasn’t already in there today.” It was obvious Colby Tucker neither knew, nor cared about, the details of the services. He sounded like he didn’t even give a rat’s ass that the woman was dead, responding as if I’d asked him if he knew when asparagus would be going on sale at Pete’s Pantry.
    With a brisk and impersonal farewell, he rang off, leaving me to wonder if I’d be able to tolerate this man’s demeanor, even on a temporary basis. So far, I had to agree with Ducky’s assessment of her boss. He was a first class jerk! I couldn’t imagine what kind of motive this man might have to kill Ducky, but I was almost wishing I’d discover he was the guilty party. I’d take great pleasure in seeing him arrested and prosecuted.
    If nothing else, I now knew I had about ten days to devote to doing a little investigating on my own before my days would be filled with library work.
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